Réunion Island: Developing an Ecocity for 140,000 Inhabitants Using Weather Station Data

Réunion is home to the only French tropical island ecocity located overseas. The purpose of this project is to design, build, and manage a pleasant and comfortable city that preserves the environment and offers a high quality of life for the resident population and visitors. This project, supported by five municipalities, specifically concerns the heart of the agglomeration made up of the bottom of La Possession (a commune in Réunion) from the town of Le Port to the town center of Saint-Paul—an area of approximately 5,000 hectares.

The team of urban planner Yves Lion was the winner of the international urban planning competition launched for the Island and the tropical island ecocity.

The project proposes an ambitious development model that advocates for the planned use of space to promote an urban lifestyle with a sustainable design. 

As part of the development project for the Eco-Cité de Cambaie – Il de la Réunion, a meteorological station is located in the heart of the area to collect and monitor climatic data (wind, rain, sunshine, temperature and humidity).

This project aims to provide data for two other studies:

• A study led by construction company CSTB regarding thermal, aeraulic, and acoustic urban comfort. This study consists of modeling the current site with all the weather parameters, simulating urban comfort from the urban sketch, and making adjustments to this sketch. In May 2018, this will evolve into a master plan with guidelines and prescriptions in terms of the setback of buildings in relation to the road, size, height, and vegetation to promote ventilation in the "city of tomorrow."
• The modeling of energy expenditure—to avoid the use of air conditioning and/or ban it—will be conducted by Intégrale Ingénierie, a general building design office.